Feeling the tremors emanating from the void, Xuanyuan XiaoZhan dared not be careless. The Profound Energy within his body circulated ceaselessly, and the blade of the Sky Spirit Shattering Sword began to glow with a sanguine light. Just as he was about to unleash his ultimate sword aura to tear this expanse of space apart, a colossal blade-light suddenly cleaved towards him, causing his spirit to jolt violently...
It was a purple blade-light scarcely three zhang long, appearing deceptively fragile, as if forged by a mere Grand Master. Yet, Xuanyuan XiaoZhan sensed within it a power of the most extreme magnitude...
And the strike was so sudden, so swift, offering absolutely no opportunity for reflection; the blade was already upon him...
Jing Lei Dao Jue...
Four characters flashed instantly across Xuanyuan XiaoZhan’s mind. Without the need for further deliberation, he knew the identity of the attacker from that single strike...
Jing Lei Dao Jue—it was the saber technique that had made Dugu BaChen famous throughout the world. As the most formidable rival to the Xuanyuan family, how could their members be unfamiliar with the Jing Lei Dao Jue? Others might fail to recognize it, but the Xuanyuan clan absolutely could not! Especially for Xuanyuan XiaoZhan, a Martial God of the Second Heaven...
But who else, at this juncture, would employ this move other than that fellow named Ye JingYu? What confounded Xuanyuan XiaoZhan, however, was the rumor that his soul had been injured by his son. How could Ye JingYu still possess such potent Martial Dao cultivation?
Yet, this was clearly not the moment for contemplation. As the blade-light reached his form, the Sky Spirit Shattering Sword, which had been poised to rend space, surged forward to meet the brilliant shaft of light...
"Rumble, rumble..." Explosions echoed before Xuanyuan XiaoZhan. The purple blade-light was instantly shattered...
However, the Ni Bo Qi Bu unleashed by Ni Bo slammed viciously into Xuanyuan XiaoZhan’s front. The sheer surge of energy violently hurled him backward, causing him to spew another mouthful of blood. This strike had clearly wounded him.
Xuanyuan XiaoZhan was shaken, not by the formidable power that wounded him, but because the sword-light he had deemed supremely powerful moments before had been destroyed with such ease. This meant the attack was merely a casual strike from his opponent, yet the concealed, overbearing aura within that single slice had completely deceived him...
This was impossible, unless the opponent’s cultivation surpassed his own? But how could Ye JingYu possibly be higher than him? If that were true, his seventh son, Xuanyuan Jing, would surely have been slain long ago!
Little did he know that while Ye JingYu’s current cultivation might not match his own, the Ba Yuan Li was the most dominant power in the cosmos. The aura it carried was inherently overbearing, creating a dynamic akin to a mouse facing a kitten—knowing it is weaker, yet still gripped by profound fear...
It was precisely as Xuanyuan XiaoZhan stood stunned that a figure materialized from the void. Ye JingYu appeared, his white hair whipping wildly and continuously growing, extending several feet long. His robes flapped loudly in the rushing air, making him resemble a white-haired demon emerging from the depths of hell...
The Heaven Venerable Saber in his hand pulsed with a violet-gold radiance, as his entire reservoir of Ba Yuan Li furiously condensed onto the weapon.
He seemed to understand that facing a powerhouse like Xuanyuan XiaoZhan, even one already injured, victory demanded an all-out assault. He likely had only one chance to strike. Thus, he elevated his power to its absolute peak, fully prepared for the resolve of 'succeed or perish'...
"Take this, Xuanyuan XiaoZhan... Sheng Si Huan Mie Dao (Life and Death Illusory Annihilation Saber)!" Ye JingYu roared. His body lunged forward, both hands raising the saber high before bringing it down in a fearsome strike against Xuanyuan XiaoZhan.
In that instant, lightning flashed across the sky, and a gigantic black fissure tore open in the void. The resulting black, violent gale morphed into a colossal saber shadow, cleaving toward Xuanyuan XiaoZhan with an aura of absolute destruction—aimed squarely at the undefeated War God who had dominated the continent for decades...
Witnessing Ye JingYu's earth-shattering strike, one that seemed capable of cleaving the void itself, Xuanyuan XiaoZhan’s face showed not only gravity but also a sliver of awe, as if marveling at a sword strike that should not exist in this mortal realm...
"Fine blade..." Xuanyuan XiaoZhan praised genuinely. He reversed his grip on the Sky Spirit Shattering Sword and lifted it. An even more brilliant sword aura flared from the blade, immediately multiplying into seven distinct beams, which surged forth to meet the intense, space-shattering saber-light...
"Hiss..." The first stream of sword energy shattered. Then the second, the third, the fourth, the fifth...
When the sixth one also splintered, sheer horror dawned on Xuanyuan XiaoZhan's face. But before the expression of shock could fully form, the final strand of sword energy vaporized as well...
And that blinding saber-light was already upon him...
Retreat...
Xuanyuan XiaoZhan’s body shot backward at incredible speed, then suddenly vaulted upward, instantly assuming the posture of a roc spreading its wings. He gave a gentle flick of the Sky Spirit Shattering Sword, causing dazzling sword auras to weave together into intricate, beautiful sword-flowers, which once more charged the descending blade-light...
But he was out of time. As the first sword-flower manifested, the saber-light tore through his left shoulder, severing his entire left arm instantly...
Xuanyuan XiaoZhan was horrified. He had been struck by this blade? And wounded so severely?
Wait—why did he feel no pain? And why was there no blood? In a sudden flash, Xuanyuan XiaoZhan seemed to grasp the truth...
But at this moment, a magnificent long saber, glowing with purple light, was already before him. An even more brilliant blade-light ignited, and the razor-sharp saber qi sliced mercilessly toward Xuanyuan XiaoZhan...
"Illusion?" The two words exploded in Xuanyuan XiaoZhan's mind. He was a supreme expert of the Martial God realm; his mental fortitude had reached heights that defied imagination. Yet, now he found himself influenced by another's Saber Intent—this was utterly unbelievable. Sheng Si Huan Mie Dao...
Truly elusive and illusory...
Xuanyuan XiaoZhan thought with a sense of sorrow as the sharp saber qi relentlessly sliced through his black dragon robe, breached his skin, and carved deep into his supremely powerful physique, leaving behind a grievous wound nearly an inch deep and a foot long...
(Still writing! More coming later)